Caribou -Hunting. 



223 



"What kind of snow-shoeing to-day, Sebatis?" 

 " Just right ; sun pack 'im down snow good deal ; very good 

 chance snow-shoein' now." 



FOREST BIRDS. 



Tomah had breakfast ready, and in a few moments moccasins 

 and snow-shoes were the order of the day. 



"Which way, Sebatis?" 



"Try 'im big barren again." 



" Sartin, best go little barren first," said Tomah; " s'pose we 

 don't find 'im caribou, then try 'im big barren." 



" May be Tomah right," said Sebatis; "little barren nearest, — 

 only 'bout two miles, — an' very good ground to fin' caribou." 



Just enough snow had fallen to make good snow-shoeing ; in fact, 

 we could have got on without snow-shoes but for the drifts and 

 swampy parts of the barrens, over which the broad snow-shoes bore 

 us safely. Fortunately for our comfort, the high wind that prevailed 

 prevented the snow lodging in the spreading boughs of the conifer- 

 ous trees, and we escaped the smothering often experienced from 

 avalanches of snow immediately after a snow-storm. These ava- 

 lanches are one of the most disagreeable things encountered in the 

 forest in winter. Sometimes, as the hunter tries to force his way 

 under the pendent boughs of a large fir-tree, the accumulated snow 

 will be discharged upon his head, getting down his neck if his hood 

 is not up, wetting the locks and barrels of his gun, and piling up on 



